


what's on my mind

by wildcard_47



Series: from partridges to pear trees [4]
Category: The Terror (TV 2018), The Terror - Dan Simmons
Genre: Gifts from the Heart, Just Follow These Steps, Laughter Before Sex, M/M, Romantic Pranks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-14
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-09-18 06:24:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16989708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wildcard_47/pseuds/wildcard_47
Summary: Written for Day 4 of Carnivale: "an unexpected gift." After a long day of work, Francis comes home in a foul mood. Luckily, Tom knows how to cheer him up with something special.





	what's on my mind

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dozmuffinxc](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dozmuffinxc/gifts).



“God damn fucking paperboy,” Francis swore a blue streak as he unlocked his front door, stumbled over this morning’s paper, and nearly fell face-first into his kitchen as a result.  Leaving the house before dawn to oversee an undergraduate exam the week before Christmas was bad enough. Being reminded of it was almost worse.

“Thomas?” he called out to the dark house.

“In ‘ere, Frank,” replied a cheerful voice.

Good. Least Francis could have someone to complain to. He tossed his briefcase into the nearest chair, shed his coat, and walked to the living room.  “Well, you’ll never fucking  _ believe  _ what happened with the exam. One idiot actually – ”

It wasn’t until he noticed the dimmed lighting that his brain caught up with his mouth. 

Tom was not, as was his usual pre-dinner tradition, jeering at  _ Ice Road Truckers  _ on the flatscreen while nursing a malty red ale. Instead, he sat in Francis’s favorite armchair in an oddly-quiet living room, wearing a long sinuous black garment. He was lit only by the crackling glow of the wood fire and a low floor lamp by the window that they never used.

“Are – is that a fucking – silk robe?” stammered Francis.

“Oh, so the professor’s not blind after all,” replied Blanky with a smirk, and crossed one bare leg over the other as he leaned back in his seat. “Yes, it fuckin’ is silk. Splurged on the real thing, mind.”

“You – ” what Francis really should have said was  _ look good,  _ but instead it came out wrong. “I – Thomas, you look bloody well mad.”

“Aye, an’ we’re all mad here, eh? ‘Specially those of us stuck with undergrads for most of a perfectly good Saturday.”

He had a point. “Fair enough.”

“An’ I should think said grumpy bastard might kick off his shoes and come see the dirty great present I’ve wrapped for him, ‘stead of mithering all night.”

Blanky did not even celebrate Christmas, so this was a trick. A damn dirty trick. Still, Francis couldn’t help taking the bait. He’d never had the patience for surprises. 

“... what present?” he finally asked.

With a flourish worthy of a bloody ballroom dancer, Tom opened his robe, revealing his fit, rangy, and completely nude body underneath….all save for a lurid gift box wrapped in shiny red and green paper and topped with a comically-large red bow. This lidded box was placed very strategically between Tom's thighs.

“Dear god.” Francis’s eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hair, and he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “That’s a fucking C & E visit if I’ve ever seen one.”

Blanky started to laugh, which got Francis going, and soon enough they were both cackling like absolute idiots, until Francis was bent over double, wiping tears from his face as he plunked down on the ground, completely aimless.

“Thomas…” he finally said, glancing up at the occupied armchair with a fond sigh. “You really didn’t have to do all of this.”

Tom’s craggy face had gone all soft in the flickering firelight. He motioned Francis over with one worn hand. “Come and open your gift, then, duck.”

“Yeah, all right then,” said Francis with a grin, and crawled closer.   
  


**Author's Note:**

> *sings* NOT GONNA GET YOU A DIAMOND RING / THAT SORT OF GIFT DON'T MEAN ANYYYYTHING....
> 
> Title taken from [this delightful Christmas/Hanukkah jam.](https://open.spotify.com/track/60VtX59NsRINDnObbDtH7G?si=jzegFqfLTm6QEO6nuI4s6A) You're all welcome.


End file.
